Excerpted from GMO Answers Medium blog
By Elizabeth Hood, PhD
First of all, for plants that have been changed through incorporation of new genes, I prefer the term Genetically Engineered, or GE, rather than GMO. Thus, I will use GE in this blog.
As a young newly married person not in the field of science, I began learning about organic gardening and farming practices and was impressed by the methods they supported that limited spraying chemicals on their crop or garden plants. I also bought books that described how to sow plants next to each other (companion planting) so that they could ward off pests.
In theory, this sounds great, however, in practice it is very difficult. It also works better in some locations than in others. For example, the south has much higher insect pressure and many “organic” solutions are not very helpful.
I also understood at an early age that many commodity crop plants no longer had resistance to diseases or insects, which were controlled with pesticides. Therefore, when I first heard about genetic engineering when visiting my eventual graduate school home, I was really excited about the possibility of being able to add specific characteristics to crop plants that would help them to resist insects, diseases and weeds. To me, this was the perfect solution to a crisis in farming that would be beneficial not only to farmers, but also to human health — fewer chemicals, better health.
The first GE plants had new characteristics that made them resistant to environmental conditions. One of the very first improved crops through genetic engineering saved the papaya industry in Hawaii.
Anyone who has ever been to Hawaii has been introduced to this wonderful, orange, creamy-fleshed fruit. However, if not for genetic engineering, this fruit would not be available. The trees were plagued by a virus disease called Papaya Ringspot Virus (PRSV). The virus was transferred from tree to tree by a small insect...
Want more? Read the rest of Hood's post on Medium.